Process of and apparatus for making compound metal objects.



. v J. F. MONNOT PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING COMPOUND METAL OBJECTS. APPLICATION FILED APR.17. 1907.

905,558. Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

i Iv 207/324 mmmumu INVENTOR ATTORNEYS I UNITED STATES. oFnroE;

JOHN E. MoNNo'r, ban -13W YOBK,.N. ASSIGNOR 'ro. DUPLEX' METALscoMPANY, or

I pNEWYQRIQN.Y.,A.coRPorA-TIoNoF'NEwYoRK rnocsssor AND umtlnmusroa Mannie. oourotmn Mercer. censors.

Spedification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908;

Application flled'April 1'1, 1907i S'erialNo. 368,654.

To all whom-it'may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JOHN F. MON-NOT, a citizen of the United States, residingat New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have inventedicertain' new and useful Processes of and Apparatus for Making Compound Metal Objects; and I do'hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

' exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which'it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relatesto-processes of and apparatus for producing compound metal ects, comprlsmgunlike metals, such for example as'lron and copper, iron and silver,

iron and brass, etc., united by aunion which is,- or which 1s substantially equlvalent. to, a

- true weld..

In applications Sr. Nos. 281,680. and 333,570, heretofore filed byme, I have set forth 'a discovery'mad'e by me which is that copper, silver and certain other metals of high melting point which do not unite inse arably to iron and other steel and the lie. underordinary conditions, even when cast at ordinary casting temperatures into 'contact with such, iron or steel, become ca able of unitingwi-th iron, and steel if'heate to a temperature much above the melting point and probably, in'the casefof' copper and Y silver, from 2500 to 2800 Fahrenheit or higher; the metal when heated to-such high temperature appearing to becomefreactive.

so as't'o be capable of'entering into direct permanent union with the 'iron. or-steel, the

union, produced being, or being equivalent to, a true weld; and being so firm that the joined metals of the resulting article'may.

not be separated by temperature changes short of'an actual 'melting of'one of" them,

nor can the one metal be stripped from the other by a cutting tool such as acold chisel;

a the cutting tool if'applied' at the line of {uncture, failingtoyfollow such line, aswou (libethe case if? the metals were not truly united? To'jthe condition of' tliese metalsat which 1 they become capable of entering into: er

: manent unions as described, I have a. the term supermol'tencondition.

said a phcations'r. No, 3333570 'I have il'lus p ied "n. my

trat'ed' and described, andiiii other applications have claimed, apparatus for producing pompoulndr metal. objects by" dip ing an ob goat ofonenfetalinto' molten Bo res ofother.

'Icasing mounted vertically;

metal. or metals and confining a layer of such. molten metal of suitable thickness in contact with the said object and permitting suchlayer to solidify thereagainst; the con hiring of such metal being commonly per formed by what I have termed segregation. In practice the segregation method of forming coatings from molten metal. is most easily carried out with. a. segregating requires very deep'crucibles, when. in ots 'of considerable size are to be coated; an these wise the deep body of mo ten metal within them subjects the crucibles,- necessarily weakened by the high temperature to-which they are exposed, to excessive pressure;

By the method. and apparatus herein described, I am able to produce compound metal; bodiesfsuch as above referred. ito, of much larger. size than is practicable atj presout when the vertical formfof apparatus. shoWn-inmy said ap li'cati'onSr. No..3.33,570.

isused, and-I am ab e touse horizontal and relatively shallow crucibles and to work with the objectftoF-be coated. in a. horizontal position. The method. herein described may properly be termed a dis lacement method and will be so referre ,to hereim after. According to said. method, the ob ject to be coated (preferably preheated and. protected against oxidationv as hereinafter "described and, if. the operation iscarriedon in two steps, film-coated inthe manner hereinai'ter described) is lowered in ahorizontal. position. into a. relatively shallow crucible. or bath of moltenmetal. Displacement bodiesare then lowered into such crucible 'along side of such-object but spaced therefrom by a distance qrrespondin to the-thickness ofcoating. desired such. is lacement -bodies being so shaped. as to i for the space corresponding to the desiredcoati'ng; As these displacement. bodiesare forced down intothe criuc' le theyv force out, throughsuitable opening thev molten metalin. the crucible except the ortionthereotin the space between the obfect. to. be coated and. said displacement. cores. The molten metal. is. then, allowed; tjosolidify, after which the. coated ingot 'i withdrawn and: worked heating as circ, mfstances require."

which in: turn crucibles are somewhat ex ensive, and like- J fill t e crucible exceptf L) hammering or. thehlze comprises a prelimina In the accom anying drawings I illustrate apparatus whic out the method herein described.

In said drawings: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal section of apparatus or carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 shows akvertical section through the coating crucible and protecting casin Fig. 3 shows a transverse section througi the coating crucible before the displacement bodies are introduced therein, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing said displacement bodies in .place. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a detail top view and a detail'vertlcal section ,of a coatin crucible provided with lugs for centering t e billet and spacing it up from the bottom of the crucible. I

The apparatus shown in these drawings heating chamber 1, as shown a 0 0s (1 chamber around which gases. may be circu ated so as to heat the bil ets said chamber without exosing them to oxidizing or deteriorating in-' uences. Such chamber has in its to openings 2 for theremoval of the heated b1 lets.

3 is a casin of approximately the shape and size of t e sal billets but open at the bottom; said casin sup orted by suitable hoisting means 4 y w 'ch it may be raised and lowered. Porter bars 5. pass through openings in the top'of this casing and are adapted at their lower ends to engage said billet. Theyv are supported by hoisting means 6; the construct1on being preferably 'such that the casing with the billet within'it may be raised and lowered as, a whole,'or the billet may be raised into or lowered from said casing. Said casing is provided with a pipe 7 for the supply of a suitable nonoxidizing, indifferentor protective atmosphere, such as producer gas made fromcoke, anthracite or charcoal and containing no considerable amount of marsh as or decomposable hydrocarbons. A va ve 8 controls the flow of gas through pipe 7: The hoisting apparatus 4 and 6 are preferably mounted upon a truck 9 running on rails 1.0 or any other suitable conveying 'ap' aratus by which it may be moved from p ace to ace. p ll and 12 are crucibles containing molten metal. 13, '13 are dis lace ent bodies formed of or coated wit .suilzable refractory. material (usually graphite or crucible mixture) and arranged to be raised from and lowered into one of said crucibles by any suitable means, as for example, hoistin means 14 on truck 9 from whichis s'uspende across frame, 15 to which said displacement bodies are connected.

As will beseen, the crucible 12 corresponds.

in shape generally to the shape'of the billet 16, but is somewhat wider than said billet and has sloping sides 17'and an overflow spout 18. The displacement bodies 13, 13 have simimolten meta .larly inclined sides on the faces away from may be used for carrying,

the billet and toward the sides of thecrucible) Said displacement bodies are further provided with spacing lugs 19 near their ends, which lugs are commonly formed of graphite or crucible mixture and are set into recesses in the displacement bodies; and I may provide ad ust1ng means for such lugs, for example, screws20 inserted from is not necessary that the two crucibles shall' contain the same metal and therefore it may happen that although the metal in crucible 11 is supermolten and that in crucible 12 is more near the ordinary casting temperature, yet the metal in. crucible-12' may be as hot or even hotter than the metal in crucible 11. The billet 1'6 havin been preheated to the proper degree inurnace 1 (it is usually heated to a'tem erature between a low red and a bright ye lbw) the cover of chamber 1 is removed, the casing 3'is moved over the opening 2 ofsaid chamber and is filled with its rotective atmosphere if not already so filled the porter bars are lowered through the casing and are engaged with a billet, and then said billet is raised up into the casing; said casing and billet being then. moved over the supermoltenbath 11, casing and billet being lowered until the casing is just above the surface of the supermolten metaland then the billet being lowered from the easing into the molten metal and after a sufiicient time has elapsed for the formation of a film coating on the billet (a few seconds contact usually suffices) said billet is raised again into the casing filled with its protect 1ve atmosphere and said casing and ,billet are then moved overthe molten bath 12,

the film coated billet is lowered to the molten metal in said bath, the casing is moved out of the way, and then thejdisplacement bodies 13, '13 are lowered into the-crucible- 12, displacing as they do the excess of coating and confining between themselves and the billet the layers. of molten metal required to form the coating.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the ap aratus adapted to form coatings on. two 'si es only of t e billet; the billet resting at the bottom over that required for the on the bottom, of'the crucible and the over- 1 or graphite, the. rod supporting these Of the crucible 12, the metal remaining therein is permitted to solidif against the film coated surface ofthe bi et and when set said billet is raised from the crucible, the

' porter bars disconnected, if not previously circulating water throng disconnected,- and the billet is worked, either before or after subr'nission to a soaking heat'.

Instead of carrying on the operation by the double dipping method just described,

' the entire operation'may be carried on with but one dipping. In such case the crucible 11 is not required and the metal in crucible 12 is maintained in the supermolten condition. In such case the billet is raisedfromthe preheating chamber 1 into the'casi-n 3 as above described, and said casing an billet are moved .over the bath 12 and lowered down to the surface of the me tal in subh bath and then the billet is lowered further into crucible 12 and immediately thereafter the displacement bodies 13,. 13 are inserted as abovedescribed. The molten metal is allowed to solidify in the crucible (heating being discontinued temporarily) and as soon as set the billet is withdrawn and treated as above described.

I have found that prolonged contact of thebillet with metal in the supermolten condition is detrimental to both metals; but opportunity for deterioration of either metal is. not aliorded even when the operation is car.-

ried on by the clipping method just described,

because althoug the molten metal is supermolten when the billet. is first introduced, and remains in that condition long enough to unite with the surface of the billet, the chilling action of the billet upon the supermolten metal almost immediately reducesthe relatively small mass of molten metal remaining in the crucible after the introd ction of the displacement bodies, below-thez supermolten state; contact of the two metals having then no appreciable injurious effect upon either.

i I- may further hasten the lowering of the molte'nm-etal below the sugermolten state by bodies 13, to which end these displacement bodies may either be solid blocks of graph te or crucible mixture, with pipes for circulating cooling water embedded therein, or,'as indi-- cated in 4, they may comprlseheavy metal cores 2.4 coated with crucible mixture the displacement ''clisplac'ement. bodiesmay be hollow and have initial contact of the billet 16 with the super-' molten metal, and after-the insertion of the displacement bodies, (which when inserted force out of the crucible the greater part of the molten metal therein,) the metal remainin be lowered quickly below this critical point, there can be no injurious action of the copper on the iron or vice versa. It will be observed thatin such case the molten metal is being cooled on bothsides; on the one side by absor tion of heat by the billet 16, and, on the ot er side by absorption ofheat by cooling water passed through the displacement bodies or by radiation from the surface of the molten metal and through the wallsof the crucible. It will be understood that there is ,a time contact or conduction factor which determines the permissible duration of contact of the billet with supermolten metal; \Vhile the billet is considerably below the tem eratureof the supermolten metal and is 'eing heated rapidly thereby, the super-molten metal cannot injuriously affect it or be affected in turn injuriously.

In using displacement bodies having means for circulatin \cooling Water thioughthem, I do not circu ate suchcooling water while the displacement bodies. are being introduced, in order that there may be no thickening of the molten metal adjacent the surfiaces of these displacement bodies or possible adhesion of molten metal to them; in

fact the water ipes or chambers within said dis lacement odie-s are one ty when said be ies are first introduced; ut when said bodies have reached their proper positions (by which time the contact of the. super-' molten metal and the billet ordinarily have continued long enough for the puuI-Ipose of by occasioned being compensated for by the slightly lower-position which such displacement bodies will then assume, due to such reduced dimensions. Instead" of resurfacing in this'manner' the bodies may be re.- surfaced by applying coating of ci'neible mixture from time to time. 5

The method of anggppamtus for i metals, abovedeseri 1s not:

' production of weld unions or equivalent unions by means of supermolten metal. If

a mere physical contact of the two metals,

such as an ordinary cast union, is desired, the. be 1n ordinary casting.

molten metal ma condition and suc molten metal may even be a metal of relatively low casting temperature, such as lead or tin.

What I claim is 1. The process of coating metal objects which comprises contacting such an object with a body of molten metal and then displacing from proximity to such object sub-,

stantially all such molten metal except a layer thereof in immediate proximity to the surface of such an object.

2? The process of coating metal objects which comprises contacting such an object with a body of molten metaLand then displacing from proximity to such object substantially all such molten metal except a such object.

4. The process of coatin metal objects which com rises-placing suc an object in a r bath of mo ten coating metal and thereafter placing in such bath in proximity to, but at a predetermined distance from, such object, a displacing body of volume adapted to dislace the molten metal not between said obect and said body. a 5. The process of coating metal objects which com rises placing suc 1 an object in a bath of mo ten metal contained in a suitable receptacle of volume suflicient to contain an excessof the molten metal, and thereafter lqwerin into the race ta-cle, at apredetermined ista'nce from t e surface of such ob} ject, a displacing body, and thereby displacingfrom such receptacle any excess of metal therein.

6. The process of coatin metal objects which com rises placing suc .an object in a bath of mo ten coating metal contained in a I receptacle having an outwardly sloping side and of sufficient'volume to contain an excess of molten metal, and thereafter lowering into the rece'tacle a displacing body having an opposite y sloping side in contiguity with the said sloping side of said receptacle untilsaid.

sloping sides arein contact and the redetermined thickness of molten metal IS left between said object and displacing body.

7. The process of coating metal ob ects which comprises film coating such anobject by contact ng'it-with molten cgating metal;

' transferring the object to a second bath of molten coating metal and thereafter placing in such bath in proximity to, but at a predetermined distance from, such object a displacing body'bf sufficient volume to displace ghpi metal not between said object and said 8. The process of coating metal objects which comprises film coating such an object by means. of supermolten metal and surrounding it with molten metal and then displacing from proximity to such body substantially all such molten metal except a lay'crthereof in immediate proximity to the surface of such body.

9. The process of coating metal objects which comprises contacting such an object with supermolten metal of high meltin point, withdrawing said object from Sue contact under conditionsprecluding oxidation of the film-coating thereby formed, contacting such film coating with a body of molten metal and then displacing from proximity'to such object substantially all such molten metal except a layer thereof in immediate proximity to the surface of such object.

10. The process of coating metal ob ects which comprises contacting such an object with supermoltenmetal, withdrawing saidobject from such contact into a chamber containing a protective atmosphere, transfen ring said 0 ject to a, body of molten metal and then displacingfrom proximity "to such object substantially all such molten metal except a layer thereof in immediate proximity to the surface'of such object.

11'. The process of "coatingmetal objects which comprises preliminary heating such 'an object, transferrmg it under conditions precluding oxidation to a body of molten metal and then displacin from proximit to such object substantially all such mo ten metal except a layer thereof in immediate proximity to the surface of such ob'ect.

- 12. The process of-coatin meta objects which comprises preliminari y heatin such an obj-ect 'transferring it under con itions precluding oxidation to a body of supermolten metal and then transferring said object, under conditions precluding oxidation,

to a body of molten metal and displacing from proximity to such object substantially all such molten metal except a layer thereof in immediate proximity to the surface of such object. v

13. Apparatus for coating metal objects comprising a receptacle ada ted to contain the object to be coated a molten metal surrounding the same, rand displac'ing meansadapted for insertion between such object, when in place in saidreceptacle, and aside of said receptaclejandj of size adapting it to displace the. -molten'=fmetal within said receptacle except a layer thereof of predetermined thicknesslnproximity to said object.

' comprismg a receptacle ada ted'to contain side surface, and a displacing body having a an overfiow'above the top of such object .when in place within it, and a displacing "to displace the moltenmetal between said lugs for spacing 1h away from the ob ect to be 14. Apparatus for coating metal objects i comprising -a receptacle ada ted to contain the object to be coated an molten metal surrounding the same, and having a sloping similarly sloping side and ada ted for insertion between sald object and t e sloping side surface, and of size adapting it to displace the molten metal within said receptacle except a layer thereof of predetermined thickness in proximity to said object.

.15. Apparatus for coating metal objects the object to be coated an having means for spacing said/ object from its bottom, and

body adapted for insertion between said object and a side of said receptacle and adapted object and said side except a layer thereof in proximity to the surface of said object.

16. Apparatus for coating metal objects comprising a displacing body havin spacing coated.

'17. Apparatus for coating metal objects comprising a displacing body having adjustable spacing lugs for spacing it away from the object to be coated.

18. Apparatus for coating metal objects,

comprismga displacing body having s acin lugs fitting within recesses of such bo y an screws for adjusting the same and means for covering the ends of said screws.

19. Apparatus for coating metal objects comprislng a displacing body having a sloping surface on one side and having means for spacing it a predetermined distance from the object to be -coated.

20. Apparatus foi coating metal objects comprising a recept cle for molten metal, a

rotective casing, means for raising and owering the same, a displacing body, means for raising and lowering the same out of and into said receptacle, and means for raising into and lowermg from said casing an object to be coated outof and into said receptacle. In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN F. MONNOT. Witnesses:

BYRON E. ELDRED, K.P. MOELROY. 

